A fragment of amorphous form, decorated in relief with scrolling tendrils and anthemion, painted egg-and-dart ornament above, surmounted by moulded bands and a frieze of meander and chequerboard panels; remains of red and black painted pigment.

Formed as the bust of Eros looking upwards, stub wings to his shoulders, holding a goose to his chest; conical socket above each wing; eyes with silver inserts; old collector's label '1994 51.75' to the reverse; mounted on a custom-made stand; likely a socket base.

Comprising a rectangular plate, richly decorated with embossed laurel leaves in a grid, framed with raised bosses, the buckle loop comprising opposing dragons with open mouths, holding a spherical tongue-rest, another pair of smaller dragon heads to base, the tongue with a smaller pair of punch-decorated dragon heads.

Hemispherical in form, repoussé interior displaying graduated concentric registers of stylised and mythical animals within tessellating cartouches; a low relief mesomphalos decorated with rosette at centre; geometric ornament around the rim.

Displaying a corrugated rim above and below; two advancing soldiers, each striding forwards over the headless body of a dead enemy, carrying a severed head in each hand; the soldiers shown bearded and each wearing a pointed and segmented helmet with a recess to accommodate the ears, a cuirass and thigh-length tunic, with a bow over one shoulder and a sword slung from a waist belt; mounted on a custom-made display stand.

Of penannular form with expanded sections at the centre and to both shoulders.

Comprising a rectangular headplate with two panels of chip-carved Style I ornament, flanking a beast-head with triangular muzzle and two pellet eyes, raised three-sided frame and outer band of pellets above beast-heads with lentoid eyes; the shallow bow with raised median rib, flanges to the edges and punched pellet detailing; footplate with beast-head between curved pellet lines, pierced horse-head lappets, lozengiform central panel with knot of Style I limbs; two lateral discs, one pierced to accept a stud and the other with a domed stud in place; the finial a disc with human mask inverted; pin-lug and part of catch to the reverse.

Displaying chased panels populated with Style I zoomorphs and geometric forms, borders of annulets, raised masks to the upper corners of the headplate; applied discoid boss to bow decorated with a rosette, addorsed beast heads below; extensive remains of gilding; pin lug and catchplate to reverse and remains of ancient repair, lower part absent.

Comprising a round-section crescent with flared ends terminating in two curved spatulate flat panels, each with a ropework border surrounding a two-band knotwork motif; cleaned and conserved.

The weeping Virgin with her head bowed to the left and hands raised to her chest on a dotted gilt background, an expression of pain on her delicately formed face; wearing a white veil and a black long-sleeved robe, the veil arranged as a headdress and covering her hair; on wood and mounted in a later carved wooden architectural frame.

Shown beneath an arcade, offering his cloak on the end of his sword to the beggar at his feet; polychrome detailing; repaired with lead cames and held in a wooden frame.

Composed from irregular painted panels bearing mainly foliage designs and figural elements; Mary crowned and enthroned with infant Jesus on her knee, in a lobed vesica-shaped panel held with lead cames; mounted in a wooden frame with modern replacements.

Carved in the half-round with a frieze composed of interlaced foliage with two rows of acanthus leaves and foliage scrolls, framing a lion's head on one side and a human head on the other, remains of lion's mane to the third; drilled holes to the raised surfaces and sockets for the insertion of decorative stones.

The bar with central D-shaped block pierced vertically by a stud surmounted by the suspension loop, with four pierced flanges to the underside; the frame in two sections, the larger a U-shaped rod with pivot for the bar, the smaller pivoting within the inner face, both pierced on the inner face; the block inscribed to one face with capital S and to the other with intersecting Vs; the bar inscribed to one face in capitals 'A DOMINI TECVM' and to the other in coarsely incised capitals 'AVEMARIA G[R]ACIAPLE[NA]'; the smaller rod inscribed in capitals 'CREATOREN CELI ET TERRE ET IN [IES]VN'; the larger inscribed with a band of scrolled decoration and the text in Lombardic capitals 'SOLI DEO HONOR ET GLORIA'; the accompanying letter discusses the texts (1) Ave Maria G[r]acia ple[n]a Dominus Tecum 'Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord [is] with thee'; (2) Soli Deo Honor et Gloria 'Honour and glory to God alone'; (3) Creatorem celi et terrae et inferum 'creator of heaven and earth and in Jesus'. The intersecting Vs may form a monogram for A[ve] M[aria]; the 1847 letter describes the findspot as 'found at Kirkleavington near Yarm in the sill of a brook' in the North Riding of Yorkshire.

Gold hoop and discoid bezel with incuse ropework border; incuse image of a bird of prey perching with wings spread and head turned; blackletter incuse and reversed inscription in an arc above the bird's head and pinions '·al : for : ye : best ·' (all for the best); repair to hoop.

Or a leg ring inscribed '+Earle of Rutland' in derivative black letter script, for a female merlin or sparrow hawk (due to the youth of Edmund Plantagenet who died aged 17); the ring with a convex interior face.

Displaying large flower heads, foliage and a skull to the outer face, enhanced with black enamelling; interior inscribed in a cursive script 'In god alone wee two are one', together with possible maker's stamps 'D' and 'F' in two rectangular cartouches.

Composed of a gently carinated hoop, the interior inscribed in cursive script 'Love is the bond of pease'.

Composed of a decoratively notched hoop divided into chased rhomboidal panels displaying foliate tendrils and horizontal hatching alternately; the interior inscribed in Roman capitals with the Latin phrase: 'x x x x VIVE x VT x VIVAS'.

Set comprising gold five pounds, two pounds, sovereign and half sovereign. Obvs: profile bust with GEORGIVS VI D G BR OMN REX F D IND IMP legends. Revs: St George and dragon; date in exergue; with original Royal Mint hinged red leatherette case of issue.

Comprising a repoussé panel with the nude hero wearing a mantle and killing the beast, a palm of victory underneath his feet, a dog attacking the lion from above, foliage around the scene; two fixing studs to the reverse; accompanied by a frame. 234 grams total, 53 x 37 mm (13 x 13 cm including frame)



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.

The belt fitting finds parallels with belt parts from Asia Minor, today in the British Museum, inv. EC 252-254. These kind of plates, decorative and engraved with classical scenes, can possibly be dated to the age of Theodosius I. The quality of decoration can support the thesis that they belonged to the officers of the Comitatus (the Imperial mobile army).

Each formed as a figure-of-eight-shaped plaque with beaded edge and central bridge, bronze reinforcement to the reverse and ferrous attachment pin. 71.3 grams total, 15-15.2 cm

Fine condition, edge chipped.

Acquired on the European art market in the 1990s. Ex property of a Suffolk collector.

Comprising scalloped outer faces, shallow dashed borders framing scrolling vines with gilt leaves to one face and horizontal bar of conjoined ellipses with pelta finial and pecked borders to the other, also with gilt elements. 39.8 grams total, 64-65 mm



Ex German art market in the late 1990s.

The naturalistic pale yellow sapphire engraved with the bust of the emperor in profile right. 4.93 grams, 24 mm



Acquired in the 1980s. Ex European collection. Private collection of a London antiquarian.

The reign of Commodus (177-192 A.D.) is typically associated with the end of the period in Roman history, the golden era of peace. He initially reigned jointly with his father Marcus Aurelius (177-180 A.D.), and later alone. Commodus cultivated a personality cult which culminated in his performance as a gladiator in the Colosseum. He was eventually assassinated by a wrestler in the baths, marking the end of the Nerva-Antonine Dynasty. He was succeeded by Pertinax.

Once forming a part of a ring carved from a single piece of carnelian, polished and displaying the mythical creature advancing left on a groundline; accompanied by a museum-quality impression. 0.99 grams, 15 mm



UK private collection before 2000. UK art market. Property of a London gentleman.

The male figure shown nude with his hands held in front of his genitals, depicted with beard and stylised facial features; remains of suspension loop above. 1.08 grams, 16 mm



UK private collection before 2000. UK art market. Property of a London gentleman.

Each composed of a central slender hoop flanked by a single strand of decoratively twisted filigree wire, domed plaque to upper body, granulated bulbs below. 3.84 grams total, 33 mm each



From the private collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK, thence by descent.

Composed of a broad, flat-section hoop and a rectangular bezel displaying a high-relief bust of a lady in profile right. 6.15 grams, 18.78 mm overall, 16.51 mm internal diameter (approximate size British K 1/2, USA 5 1/2, Europe 10.58, Japan 10)



Acquired in the 1970s. From a deceased lady’s estate, by descent. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.202900.

In 2014, a grave of a woman was discovered in Gerulata cemetery III, containing an unusual number of rings. The buried woman, aged 40-49, had two rings on each hand, one of which was a signet ring with a gem depicting the Egyptian deities Serapis and Isis, whose hairstyle and profile are identical to the present ring. Although, the bust of Isis is opposed to Serapis in the rings, the cult of the goddess was widespread inside the provinces already in the 1st century A.D.

Bifid hoop expanding to ellipsoid cells, each with an inset garnet cloison, intaglio clasped-hands and chalice(?) motifs. 6.46 grams, 21.57 mm overall, 18.72 mm internal diameter (approximate size British I 1/2, USA 4 1/2, Europe 7.44, Japan 7)



Acquired on the German art market around 2000. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.

Openwork heart-shaped shoulders and reef-knot to the underside, ellipsoid cell with inset cameo. 5.03 grams, 20.13 mm overall, 15.77 mm internal diameter (approximate size British G 1/2, USA 3 1/2, Europe 5.55, Japan 5)



Acquired in the 1980s. American private collection. with Bonhams, London, 23 October 2013, lot 163. Accompanied by a previous dealer's catalogue and price card (£3,750.00). This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.203078.

Composed of a lentoid-section hoop expanding at the shoulders to an oval bezel set with a garnet intaglio gemstone depicting a bearded male bust facing left, wearing an earring and pendant necklace. 9.61 grams, 27.60 mm overall, 15.39 mm internal diameter (approximate size British H 1/2, USA 4, Europe 6.81, Japan 6)



Private collection. Accompanied by an expert report by Dr Jack Ogden, 9 June 2017.

The chrysoprase gemstone with intaglio Venus seated beside a tree, altar and miniature Victory before her; mounted in a later gold ring; accompanied by a museum-quality impression. 12.04 grams, 24.22 mm overall, 20.19 mm internal diameter (approximate size British T, USA 9 1/2, Europe 21.26, Japan 20)



Ex property of a London gentleman; acquired London art market, 1970-1980.